Folding box.



Nb. 765-,-174. PATENTED JULY 19, 1904. J. H. FOWLER. FOLDING BOX. nrucuron mam MAR. 23, 1904'. no xonnn. v r Hum-sum 1.

N0. 765,174. I PATENTED JULY 19, 1904. J. H. FOWLER. FOLDING BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 23, 1904. no 110mm. 2 SHEETSSHEBVT z.

7L 6 v In a a z' 6 k e h e UNITED STATES Patented July 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,174, dated July 19, 1904.

Application filed March 23, 1904.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Union, in the county of Huntingdon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to folding boxes such as are designed more particularly for carrying eggs; and it h as for its general object to provide a box adapted when empty to be readily folded and secured in small compass, so as to take up but a minimum amount of space in storage and shipment and as readily set up and secured in such state for use, and one which is simple and inexpensive in construction and at the same time very strong, and therefore well fitted to withstand the rough usage to which shipping-boxes are ordinarily subjected.

A secondary object of the invention is to provide a folding box the cover of which is provided with means for holding the sheets of cardboard ordinarily interposed between layers of egg-cells and also the cells when collapsed, this witha view of protecting the said sheets and cells against injury when the box is folded, so as to adapt the same to be repeatedly used. I

Other advantageous features of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved folding box complete as the same appears when set up ready for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the box, taken in a plane at one side of the longitudinal center thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal vertical section taken through a'portion of the body and cover of the box at the longitudinal center thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view illustrating one of the latches for detachably connecting the transverse walls of the box to the side walls thereof. Fig. 5isadetailtransverse section illustrating the manner in which the side walls of the box-body are connected to the bottom wall thereof with aview of excluding the weather. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the before-mentioned latches re- Serial No. 199,542. (No model.)

is a longitudinal vertical section of the folded box, taken in a plane at one side of the longitudinal center thereof. Fig. 9 comprises perspective views of the lower section anda portion of the upper section of one corner-iron of thebox-body. Fig. l0isaperspective view of the upper portion of said corner-iron, and Fig. 11 is an inverted plan view illustrating the box-cover and the frame therein for holding the sheets of cardboard designed to be interposed between layers of egg-cells and also the cells.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the' drawings, referring to which A is the body of my novel folding box, and B the cover thereof. In the present and preferred embodiment of my invention the body A is made up of a bottom wall a, preferably of wood, having rabbets b at its ends and also having side flanges c, rabbeted at their upper ends, as indicated by d and best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, transversely-disposed metallic shoes 6, connected to the bottom of the wall a and the outer sides of the flanges 0 thereof and rounded on their outer sides with a view of protecting the box against wear and injury when the same is slid over a platform or other surface, keepers f, connected to the flanges 0 adjacent to the ends thereof, transverse end walls g, connected to the bottom wall a in a hinged manner and preferably through the medium of strap-hinges h, which are countersunk in the inner sides of the end walls, as best shown in Fig. 2, an intermediate or partition transverse wall c', hinged to the flanges c and having its lower edge rounded and arranged on a transverse strip on the bottom wall (0, whereby it is adapted to swing in either direction, and side walls k, hinged to the flanges c of the bottom wall (0, preferably through the medium of strap-hinges Z, which are countersunk in the inner sides of the side walls and having their lower edges rabbeted to correspond with the rabbeted upper edges (Z of the flanges 0, Figs. 1 and 5. The transverse walls g and c and the side walls lo are,

like the bottom wall (1/, preferably formed of wood, and by reason of the end walls being adapted to rest in the rabbets b and the side walls arranged to meet the rabbets (Z it will be observed that when the end and side walls are in their upright positions water is effectually prevented from gaining access to the interior of the box through the joints between said end and side walls and the bottom wall. But one large strap-hinge It is employed to connect each end wall to the bottom wall, and, as will be readily appreciated, said hinge h is calculated to lend strength and durability to its complementary end wall, as well as to strongly connect the same to the bottom wall. The end walls r are provided in their outer sides adjacent to their upper edges with recesses m, designed to serve as handholds, and the end walls g and the partition-wall v; are provided in their upper edges at points adjacent to their vertical edges with pockets 0)., Fig. 4C, and bearing-plates 7). These latter, which are preferably of sheet metal, comprise U-shaped central portions q, sunk in the upper edges of the transverse walls between the pockets 7% and the vertical edges of said walls, and flanges 4', which rest at the sides of the transverse walls and are nailed or otherwise connected thereto. in the U-shapcd or channel portion of each of the metallic bearings 79 is pivotally mounted a swinging latch .9, which is provided at its free end with a T-head 6, designed to rest when the latch is idle in the pocket 12 complementary to the latch.

At their opposite ends the flanges 0 on the bottom wall a are provided with angle-irons u, Figs. 1 and 9. Portions of these angleirons are driven into the ends of the flanges c, and the other portions thereof are designed to lap and strengthen the end walls 72/ when the latter are in their upright positions. The side walls are provided at their ends with similar angle-irons 1;, Figs. 1 and 10. These latter angle-irons terminate at their upper ends in U-shaped corner-irons w, which are designed to receive and lend strength to the upper corners of the side walls, in which pockets a: are formed, Fig. 4, and are each provided with an inwardly-extending plate y, which rests at the inner side of one of the said pockets 0; and is provided with a kerf or notch 2, whereby it is adapted to serve as a keeper for one of the latches s. The side walls 7 are provided in their upper edges midway their length with pockets m and are also provided on their inner sides with plates having notches or kerfs .2, as shown in Fig. 6. The said pockets (1/ are designed to receive the heads of the latches s on the partition-wall 2', while the plates y/ are designed for the engagement of said latches. In addition to the keepers f the side walls l: are provided on their outer sides adjacent to their ends and their upper edges with keepers f.

The cover B has side and end flanges and is preferably made up of a top wall a, of wood, depending walls 7), also of wood, at the ends of the top wall, and metallic side flanges (Z and end flanges (2, depending from said wall a. The cover-walls b and the end flanges e are recessed, as indicated by g, Figs. 1 and 3, at points opposite the recesses m in the end walls g of the body A, and portions of the said flanges e are bent inwardly through said recesses g and are connected to the inner sides of the walls Z), this in order to protect said walls 5 when hooks are engaged with the box at m with a view of dragging the box about.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the lower edge ,of the metallic portion of the cover B is provided with a barrel 7t and a rod 2", and portions of the said barrel are cut away at points adjacent to the corners of the cover, so as to adapt the rod to receive slidable latches or fasteners 7'. These latter are designed to be engaged with the keepers f when the box is set up and with the keepers f when the box is folded and in either case serve to secure the cover on the body.

0, Figs. 2, 8, and 11, is a frame, preferably of wood, hinged at m in the cover B and having a spring-pressed latch 72/, designed to engage a keeper 7 in the cover with a view of holding the frame in a position close to and parallel with the top of the cover. The said frame G is designed to hold the cells and cardboard sheets against the top of the cover and in a smooth condition, this with a view of protecting the said cells and sheets against injury when the box is folded, and thereby permit of the repeated use of such sheets and cells.

\Vhen my novel box is set up and the latches a on the transverse walls g and i are swung vertically into engagement with the keepers ;1 of the side walls and so as to rest flush with the upper edges of the transverse and side walls, it will be observed that the said transverse and side walls will be strongly connect'ed, and hence there will be absolutely no liability of the box-body casually collapsing when in use. It will also be observed that when the cover B is placed in position andconnected to the body in the manner described said cover will hide the latches from view and will effectually prevent any mischievous person from tampering with the latches. When the box is empty and it is desired to ship it to a certain point to be refilled, the box may be readily folded in the following manner, viz: by swinging the latches 8 out of engagement with the keepers 1/ on the side walls and inwardl y so that the latches rest below the upper edges of the transverse walls with their heads in the pockets at thereof, swinging the end walls h inwardly until they rest flat on the upper side of the bottom wall a, swinging the partition-wall downwardly until it rests on either one of the end walls, and then swinging inwardly first one and then the other side wall 1%, the first side wall to be swung inwardly being that which is connected to the comparatively shallow or low flange 0, (shown at the left of Fig. 1,) this with a view of enabling the superposed side walls to rest parallel to each other, and thereby contribute to the compactness of the folded box. After the box or box-body is folded as stated, the cover is placed on said body, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and is connected to the keepers f thereof, when, as will be readily appreciated, the box will be effectually prevented from casually opening, and casual disconnection of the body and cover will also be precluded.

It will be noticed from the foregoing that the box may be opened and set up ready for use quite as readily as it may be folded and that when set up for use it is possessed of the same capacity as an ordinary box of similar size and is calculated to withstand the rough usage to which shipping-boxes are ordinarily subjected quite as well as the strongest shipping-boxes of the usual construction.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and pre ferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the same. -I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to such specific construction and relative arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. A folding box comprising a bottom wall, walls connected in a hinged manner to the bottom wall, and disposed at an angle to each other; one of said hinged walls having a pocket in its upper edge and a notched keeper forming'one wall of said pocket, and the other wall having a communicating pocket and longitudinal kerf in its upper edge, a metallic bearing-plate having a channel portion resting in the kerf of the latter wall, and also having flanges arranged at the sides of the wall and connected thereto, and a latch pivotally mounted in the channel portion of the bearing-plate so as to swing vertically, and having a head at its free end; said latch being arranged when in a horizontal position to rest below the upper edge of its wall.

2. In a folding box, the combination of a bottom wall, side walls connected in ahinged manner to the bottom wall, and having pockets in their upper edges adjacent to their ends, and also having notched keepers forming the inner walls of said pockets, end walls connected in ahinged manner to the bottom wall and having pockets and longitudinal kerfs in their upper edges; said pockets and kerfs communicating with each other, metallic bearing-plates having channel portions resting in the kerfs of the end walls, and verticallyswinging latches mounted in the channel portions of the bearing-plates, and having heads at their free ends.

3. In a folding box, the combination of a bottom wall having upwardly-directed side flanges, one of which is of a less height than the other, side walls connected in a hinged manner to said flanges of the bottom wall, and having pockets in their upper edges and also having notched keepers forming the inner walls of said pockets, transverse end walls and a transverse partition-wall connected in a hinged manner to the bottom wall and having pockets and longitudinal kerfs in their upper edges, metallic bearing-plates having channel portions resting in the kerfs of the transverse walls, said pockets and kerfs communicating with each other, and verticallyswinging latches mounted in the channel portions of the bearing-plates in the transverse walls, and having heads at their free ends.

4. In a folding box, the combination of a bottom wall, a side wall connected in a hinged manner to the bottom wall and having a pocket in its upper edge and inner side adjacent to one of its ends, and also having a U-shaped corner-iron which receives the end of the side wall and forms the inner wall of the pocket, and is provided with a notch, and an end wall hinged to the bottom wall and provided with a latch arranged to engage that portion of the corner-iron which forms the inner wall of the pocket in the side wall.

5. In a folding box, the combination of a bottom wall, a side wall connected in a hinged manner to the bottom wall and having a pocket in its upper edge and inner side adjacent to one of its ends, an angle-iron having a portion embedded in the end of the side wall,

and a portion extending inwardly from said side wall, and also having a U-shaped corneriron at its upper end which receives the end of the side wall and forms the inner wall of the pocket, and is provided with a notch, an end wall hinged to the bottom wall, and a latch pivoted in said end wall and arranged to engage the notched portion of the corner-iron.

6. In a folding box, the combination of a bottom wall, side walls connected in a hinged manner to the bottom wall and having pockets in their upper edges and inner sides adjacent to their ends, U-shaped corner-irons connected to and receiving the ends of the side walls, and having inner notched portions which form the inner walls of the pockets,end walls hinged IIO to the bottom wall, and having pockets in 7 their upper edges, and longitudinal kerfs communicating therewith, and vertically-swinging latches pivoted in 'said kerfs of the end walls and arranged to engage the notched portions of the corner-irons.

7. In a box, the combination with a body.

having a handheld in the outer side of one of In testimony whereof I have hereunto set its upright Walls; of a cover having a dependmy hand in presence of tWo SUbSCllblDg Witing flange arranged to rest over said Wall of nesses.

the body, and also having a recess in said JOHN H. FOYVLER. 5 flange, and a metallic covering on the flange Witnesses:

a portion of Which is bent inwardly and up- FRANK H. HARRISON,

Wardly through the said recess. BENJAMIN C. WVHARTON. 

